No new admissions after multiple complaints Families in emergency meeting on care home

The balloons that had Newbury looking up A composite picture of four images taken over a period of 40 minutes of balloo ns rising from Donnington Grove Hotel on Saturday morning, as seenfromDonningtonCastle Picture by Chris Meads

WELFARE checks are being carried out at a Newbury care home follow- ing complaints about the quality of care and the treatment of residents. Reviews are also being completed for all those who reside at Winchcombe Place after a number of concerns were received from concerned relatives. Care UK, the provider that runs the home on Maple Crescent, admitted the quality of care had “fallen below the high standards” it expects. It added that it would not be accept- ing new admissions for the foreseeable future, so it could focus on the care it gives to existing residents. West Berkshire Council said it had been made aware of the issues and was working with the Care Quality Commission to ensure an appropriate improvement plan was in place to keep people safe. The local authority added that it took the responsibilities of the people in its care “very seriously” and confirmed it has the ability to terminate Care UK’s contract if necessary. However, it stressed that no such decision had yet been made. The council said that while it had

only received one formal complaint, it had been contacted by multiple family members to alert them to further concerns. In a statement, the council said: “These issues have been raised by vari- ous people including the Care Quality Commission and the family and friends of residents at the home. “Once we became aware of these concerns we wanted to meet with rela- tives to inform them of the situation, to give them the opportunity to ask ques- tions and gain further information from the families about their experi- ences of care at the home. “The meeting was attended by approximately 70 family and friends of residents.” It added: “West Berkshire Council will not be commissioning any further placements at Winchcombe Place and have strongly advised Care UK that they do not take any new admissions. n Continued on page 5

which is open to all balloonists – took place on Saturday and Sunday morning. Around 50 balloons left the Donnington Grove Hotel and Country Club shortly

before 9am, much to the delight of onlookers who had gathered to witness the spectacle. Go to Newburytoday.co.uk for more pictures.

A COLOURFUL array of hot air balloons floated across the skies above West Berkshire over the weekend. The annual Icicle Refrozen Balloon Meet – an informal, unsponsored event

Extra mental health support for district’s children A PROJECT to support and improve children’s mental health is being trialled in West Berkshire. said: “I have seen first-hand the excellent work already being done in schools to support children and young people with their mental health. Council, Reading Borough Council and Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

Berkshire West has been selected by NHS England to pilot a three-year project to run two dedicated mental health and support teams. One of only a handful across the coun- try, the scheme will have more than £800,000 of government funds invested for each of the three years. Berkshire West Clinical Commission- ing Group (CCG) interim director of joint commissioning Katrina Anderson

Both local authority areas will have their own mental health support team. The support teams, made up of profes- sionals from the NHS and local authori- ties, will work in schools and help young people to improve their emotional or mental health. Staff from the University of Reading will also provide training to raise aware- ness of mental health and reduce stigma. n Continued on page 5

“These new dedicated teams will build on this, working closely with children, young people and their families, giving them vital support to help them deal with their mental health and wellbeing concerns.” The project, which aims to initially support more than 500 children and young people, is a partnership between Berkshire West CCG, West Berkshire